Progressive AFT Returns
to Missouri for Inaugural I-70
Half-Mile presented by Indian
Motorcycle of Kansas City
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(April 19, 2022) – The
2022 Progressive
American Flat Track
season resumes this weekend with
the inaugural I-70
Half-Mile presented by Indian
Motorcycle of Kansas City
on Saturday, April 23 in Odessa,
Missouri.
The
stop at the newly revived
I-70 Motorsports Park
represents Progressive AFT’s
long-awaited return to Missouri,
some 17 seasons after the
championship last visited
Sedalia. To celebrate that
return, along with Saturday’s
championship round, Kansas
City-area fans are invited to
come out to the venue on Friday,
April 22 from 3:00 p.m. until
8:00 p.m. local time to attend
the day’s test session free of
admission.
The
young ‘22 season has already
taken on an interesting shape.
It was widely expected that the
premier Mission
SuperTwins presented by S&S
Cycle class would once
again be a battle for supremacy
waged by reigning champion
Jared Mees (No.
1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive
Insurance FTR750) and his great
rival, Briar Bauman
(No. 3 Indian
Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance
FTR750).
That has proven true to an
extent, as the Indian Wrecking
Crew superstars have split the
season’s two available wins and
are currently separated by a
single point atop the
championship standings.
However, the efforts to level
the playing field have yielded
early dividends, as five
different riders out of a
possible six, representing three
different manufacturers, have
stood upon the podium already in
2022.
In
fact, it’s Yamaha-mounted
JD Beach (No.
95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07
DT) who stands as the only rider
with a perfect podium record
thus far. And his teammate,
heralded rookie Dallas
Daniels (No. 32
Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07
DT), has proven nearly as
successful, and the two threaten
to collect race wins in the near
future.
That sort of parity and
unpredictability has added an
extra dimension to the season’s
title fight, and promises to
continue this weekend on a track
new to the tour.
Bronson Bauman
(No. 37 Latus Motors Racing
Harley-Davidson XG750R), who put
Harley-Davidson back up on the
box in the season opener,
Mission Roof Systems teammates
Brandon Robinson
(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems
Indian FTR750) and Jarod
Vanderkooi (No. 20
Mission Roof Systems Indian
FTR750), and last year’s finale
winner, Davis Fisher
(No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC
Racing Indian FTR750), are just
a sampling of the riders with
the potential to factor up front
this weekend.
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Mission Production Twins
presented by Vance & Hines
Defending Mission
Production Twins presented by
Vance & Hines king
Cory Texter
(No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing
Yamaha MT-07) rebounded like a
champion at the Texas Half-Mile
following a difficult opener.
Despite tricky conditions and a
series of stoppages, Texter
controlled the Main Event at
Texas Motor Speedway to remind
everyone exactly why he’s the
one brandishing the #1 plate on
his machine.
That said, Nick
Armstrong (No. 60
Competitive Racing
Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha
MT-07) provided evidence that
his virtuoso performance at the
opening round was no fluke,
logging a fourth-place result as
an encore. That result puts him
in front of the early-season
championship chase heading into
Odessa.
Meanwhile, a number of the
category’s usual suspects –
Ben Lowe (No.
25 Helipower Racing/Mission
Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R),
Jesse Janisch
(No. 33 Vance & Hines
Harley-Davidson XG750R),
Kolby Carlile (No. 36
KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson
XG750R), and Dan Bromley
(No. 62 Vinson Construction,
Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) – have
already marked up podium
finishes this season.
Some others have yet to break
into the top three, but it’s
likely only a matter of time
before the likes of multi-race
winners Chad Cose
(No. 49 DPC Racing/Voodoo Ranger
Harley-Davidson XG750R),
Johnny Lewis (No. 10
Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal
Enfield 650), and Ryan
Varnes (No. 68
Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch
Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) make
their presences felt in a major
way.
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Parts Unlimited AFT
Singles presented by KICKER
Top honors Parts
Unlimited AFT Singles presented
by KICKER are seemingly
always up for grabs, as the
class features a deep pool of
both hard-charging youngsters
and battle-proven veterans
aboard a range of equipment
backed with factory support from
multiple manufacturers.
However, while the list of
potential winners extends into
the double digits, an early
pecking order headlined by the
preseason favorites is already
starting to take shape.
Sophomore ace Kody Kopp
(No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory
Racing 450 SX-FFE) and his
two-time class runner-up
teammate, Max Whale
(No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory
Racing 450 SX-FFE), currently
sit first and third in the
championship standings.
Meanwhile, American Honda
teammates Morgen
Mischler (No. 13
American Honda/Progressive
Insurance CRF450R) and
Dalton Gauthier (No. 79
American Honda/Progressive
Insurance CRF450R) – the riders
many would have pegged as the
most likely to prevent this
year’s title hunt from turning
into a factory KTM intrateam
affair – are currently ranked
second and fourth.
While those four expect to
continue to jockey for position
as the championship campaign
develops, a number of others
could easily work their way into
the mix as well.
Trent Lowe (No.
48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s
Dallas Honda CRF450R),
Michael Inderbitzin
(No. 54 1st Impressions Services
of Florida Honda CRF450R),
Chase Saathoff
(No. 106 American
Honda/Progressive Insurance
CRF450R), Trevor Brunner
(No. 21 Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F), and
Brandon Kitchen (No. 80
Vance & Hines/Husqvarna
Motorcycles Husqvarna FC450),
among several others, all have
the requisite speed and ability
to walk away from I-70
Motorsports Park with the
winner’s trophy.
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There will be plenty to keep
fans entertained off the track
as well. Along with numerous
vendors, food and beverage
options, and the Kids Zone, the
high-energy three-piece group
Pompous Jack,
will be performing their blend
of ‘80s rock, blues, and
country. And the night will
conclude in fitting fashion
thanks to a post-event fireworks
display.
Along with the action at the
track on Saturday night and the
free test day on Friday, fans
are invited to attend the
I-70 Half-Mile American
Flat Track Rider Meet & Greet
at RideNow
Kansas City in Olathe,
Kansas, where fans can meet
their favorite riders and enjoy
Mission Foods
chips and salsa, on Thursday,
April 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. local time.
Visit
https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3775
to purchase your tickets for the
I-70 Half-Mile presented
by Indian Motorcycle Kansas City
now.
General Admission
Grandstand tickets are
just $40 and kids 12 and under
are free when accompanied by an
adult. Fans who would like
seating along the front stretch
of the racetrack, including
seat-backs in all sections, can
select seats in the
Reserved Grandstand for
just $10 more. The
Indoor Suite Reservation
ticket provides exclusive
viewing above the grandstand in
private, climate-controlled
accommodations for $150.
Paddock Access Upgrades
are available for purchase (and
come included with Indoor Suite
Reservation tickets), which
provide all-day access to the
pits where fans can scope out
the racebikes and get up close
and personal with the stars of
the sport.
Other options include the
Party Deck Add-On
for fans 21+ and a
range of Multi-Day
Camping Passes.
Gates will open for fans at 3:30
p.m. local time with Opening
Ceremonies scheduled to begin at
8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT ahead
of the evening’s Main Event
program. You can catch the
livestream of all the weekend’s
racing activities free via
Facebook up
until Opening Ceremonies. Fans
can then purchase access to
watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis,
Main Events, and podium
celebrations via
Facebook Paid Online Events
for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours
or more in advance, or $4.99 if
purchased on the day of the
event.
The I-70 Half-Mile
will premiere on
FS1 on Sunday,
May 1, at 10:00 a.m. ET/7:00
a.m. PT., including exclusive
features, cutting-edge aerial
drone and onboard footage, and
expert commentary.
For more information on
Progressive AFT visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com.
To score the latest gear for the
Progressive American Flat Track
fan, visit our official
merchandise store at
https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and Facebook are the
official homes for coverage of
Progressive American Flat Track.
For the 2022 season, all 18
races will premiere in one-hour
telecasts on FS1 during highly
desirable weekend time slots.
The complete schedule can be
viewed at
https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers
can watch livestream coverage of
every round in the Facebook
mobile app, Facebook desktop
site or on the Facebook Watch
mobile app. To watch the
livestream on TV, fans can
download the Facebook Watch TV
app, or cast to a TV from the
Facebook mobile app. Facebook
Watch is available through Apple
TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon
Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox
One.
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About Progressive American Flat
Track
Progressive American Flat Track
is the world's premier dirt
track motorcycle racing series
and one of the longest-running
championships in the history of
motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing in Daytona Beach,
Fla., the series is highly
regarded as the most competitive
form of dirt track motorcycle
racing on the globe. For more
information on Progressive
American Flat Track, please
visit us on the web, like us
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